


The Inevitable

by sayingsrmyfandoms



Category: Captain America - All Media Types, Iron Man (Movies), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: BAMF Harley Keener, Harley Keener & Peter Parker Friendship, Harley Keener & Peter Parker are Siblings, Hugs, Hurt Tony Stark, James "Rhodey" Rhodes & Tony Stark Friendship, Misunderstandings, POV James "Rhodey" Rhodes, Parent Tony Stark, Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Precious Peter Parker, Protective Harley Keener, Protective James "Rhodey" Rhodes, Protective Tony Stark, Tony Stark Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-31
Updated: 2020-07-31
Packaged: 2021-03-05 21:07:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,453
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25631791
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sayingsrmyfandoms/pseuds/sayingsrmyfandoms
Summary: Everyone believes Tony is over it, even Tony. Especially Tony.But then his kid gets hurt.
Comments: 17
Kudos: 227





	The Inevitable

“Come on, Platypus, what else do you want? I can give you springs – make the bottoms of your feet like those moon shoes things.”

“Tony, the legs are fine. Stop worrying about it.”

“I’m just saying, I’m a genius who can make your wildest dreams come true.”

“It sounds like your deflecting.”

Tony gasps dramatically and halts. “You take that back, sir!”

Rhodey smiles and shakes his head, walking to the gym doors. “Go to therapy and I’ll stop calling you out.” He turns around to give Tony a significant look.

Tony shudders and makes a face, catching up to him. “I’ve had enough shrinks to last me a lifetime, I don’t need anymore. Besides, I’ve got you.” He winks, and pushes the door open before Rhodey can respond.

Walking into the gym, they’re greeted by the sounds of grunts and thuds coming from the fighting ring, which isn’t uncommon. But when Tony hears Peter yell, and sees Cap’s shield flying towards him, he’s running before Rhodey can stop him.

“FRIDAY, lockdown the Tower!” Tony yells as he activates his watch, gauntlet forming over his hand. Red starts flashing, the safety blinds are dropping over the windows, and the doors slam shut behind Rhodey. 

Tony blasts Cap in the chest as soon as he’s close enough, before leaping into the ring and pushing Peter behind him, arm still extended.

“Don’t touch him.” 

Everyone pauses for a moment, shocked. Steve is starting to sit up on the floor, eyes on Tony. He raises his hands slightly.

“Tony – “

“Don’t.”

Tony is shaking, his arm unsteady. His eyes are wide and he’s sweating, face pale, but he doesn’t waiver. Rhodey approaches slowly, not completely sure what’s going on.

“Cap, I want you to back out of the ring slowly.” 

Steve glances at Rhodey. “But – “

“Cap, now.” 

Steve hesitates, then nods. Rhodey turns to Tony. “Tony, Steve is gonna get up and leave now. Is that okay?”

Tony doesn’t take his eyes off Cap, but after a moment, he nods. He doesn’t lower his arm. 

Cap slowly rises, and ducks out of the ring. Tony’s posture doesn’t change. 

Rhodey looks at Peter, in workout sweats and sneakers, standing behind Tony. “Hey Pete, could you talk to Tony, please?”

Peter snaps out of his shock and bounces back immediately. 

“Oh yeah, yeah, sure. Uh hey, Mr. Stark. You okay?” Peter walks out from behind Tony, goes to his side so that Tony can see him, but doesn’t touch him. “I’m okay, just so you know. Uh, Mr. Captain – I mean, Steve was just showing me some of the flips he uses in battle, because I thought they looked cool. We weren’t actually fighting; he was just throwing his shield so I could avoid it. I can’t seem to get the last flip right, so I keep slipping. But yeah, uh, no ones hurt. You can…you can stand down?” 

Peter was looking back and forth between Tony and Rhodey, evidently worried if he was saying the right things. Rhodey nodded his head encouragingly, knowing that him talking - about anything really – will help center Tony. 

And it was starting to work: Tony let his eyes flicker to Peter several times before he nods slightly and slowly lowers his arm. He doesn’t relax, eyes still fixed on Steve, who has made it almost to the wall. 

Peter walks in front of Tony, not entirely blocking his view but enough so that he takes center stage. 

“Mr. Stark?” He moves to put his hand on Tony’s shoulder.

Tony jumps forward, wrapping his arms around Peter and almost collapsing onto his shoulder. Peter easily bears the weight, wrapping his arms in turn around Tony, and keeps talking. “I’m okay, I’m okay. Everything’s fine. We’re all okay.” 

Tony starts to shake more and he’s breathing so harshly that Rhodey can hear it from where he’s standing. 

Tony starts mumbling into Peter’s shoulder, so it comes out muffled, but Peter’s eyes widen and he hugs Tony more tightly.

Rhodey ducks into the ring, checking to make sure Cap is still backed up. He approaches the pair until he’s close enough to hear Tony.

“Not my kids. Please. Just, not my kids.” His breathing isn’t slowing down.

Oh. 

Rhodey understands now.

He keeps his voice soft as he calls out. “Hey, FRIDAY? Can you call Harley, please?”

“Of course, Colonel.” 

Tony didn’t react to Rhodey’s voice, but Steve does, looking over in confusion. Rhodey holds up a hand to stop him from asking questions, not wanting to draw attention to him. 

“Harley is connected.”

There’s static, and then: “What’s up, Mechanic?” 

Tony takes a deep, shaking breath and raises his head. Rhodey sees that Peter’s shirt is damp. 

“Tony? You there?” 

Tony opens his mouth as if to speak, but nothing comes out. Rhodey takes over.

“Hey, kid, it’s Rhodey.”

“Oh, uh, hey Colonel. What’s going on?”

“Could you just tell us where you are and what you’re doing?”

“Oh yeah, right.” Harley doesn’t hesitate or ask questions, almost as if he’s had to do this before. “Uh, well, I’m in my dorm room at MIT, pretending to do my Stats homework, but I’m actually watching YouTube stuff because fuck statistics, right? And hey, Tony, I know you helped me get into MIT and everything, but I also kinda expected you to pay off my profs so I didn’t have to do shitty things like homework and assignments. I thought there would be more benefits to being one of Tony Stark’s heirs, ya know? So, if you could get on that, that’d be great – I have a midterm next week that I really don’t want to do.” 

Tony lets out a huff that Rhodey takes for a laugh, and Rhodey feels himself relax a bit. 

“Yeah,” Tony’s voice cracks. “I’ll get right on that.” 

“Much obliged.” 

They’re quiet for a moment aside from the sounds of shuffling papers and Tony’s deep breaths, and Rhodey watches as Tony gathers himself. He kisses Peter’s temple before pulling away, and Rhodey notices how his eyes avoid Steve. 

Tony clears his throat and steps back further. “So, that was weird, huh?”

Rhodey’s placating “Tony” overlaps with Harley’s “Yeah, a bit” and Peter looks up in shock at the abrasiveness, but Tony laughs more comfortably. 

“Sorry about the scare, kid.” Tony’s looking at Peter, who opens his mouth to respond, but Harley beats him to it. 

“Don’t worry, I’m used to saving your ass by now.” 

Tony laughs again, rubbing his face with the hand that’s not covered in metal. “I was talking to the other kid, jackass, but thanks for that.”

“The other kid?” Harley sounds confused. “Oh! You mean my replacement.”

“He’s not your replacement – “

“Hi Peter, nice to finally meet you.” 

“Stop trying to make me feel guilty – “

“Tony talks about you all the time.”

“I do not – “

“I think he’s trying to make me jealous.”

“I am not!” Tony’s smiling now, still shaking slightly, but his voice is strong. Rhodey can feel the smile on his face as he watches the interaction. Peter’s head tilted in confusion, and he’s clearly trying to figure out what’s going on. 

“Mr. Stark? What’s he talking about?”

Before Tony can respond, Harley’s boisterous laughter comes through the speakers. “He calls you Mr. Stark! Oh man, no wonder you like him better.” 

Tony groans. “This is why I didn’t want you two to meet.” 

Peter still looks confused. 

Steve clears his throat. Tony tenses, but doesn’t look over. Steve speaks anyway. “Is everything alright now?”

He sounds worried and confused, and Rhodey can’t find it in himself to be upset. It wasn’t exactly his fault. Rhodey looks at Tony, making sure he’s still breathing, before answering. “I think so, Cap, but maybe it’s best you take a walk.”

Steve looks like he wants to argue, hesitation clear, but Tony still won’t look at him, so he nods stiffly, and walks around the ring to the exit. He pauses at the door, turns back to say something, but gets cut off.

“Cap? As in, Captain America? As in, the fucking asshole – “

“Harley.” Tony’s voice is sharp, face tight. 

“Tony.” Harley’s voice is just as sharp, catching Rhodey off guard at its intensity. He sounds deadly serious, a total one-eighty from the playful tone he had only seconds ago. 

Rhodey looks back to Cap, whose face is that of shock. Rhodey catches his eye before he can say anything and nods towards the exit, insistent that he leave. Steve’s face darkens and he gives Rhodey a look, as if to say that this isn’t over, but he leaves. 

Rhodey pretends he doesn’t see Tony sag in relief for his own peace of mind.

**Author's Note:**

> First fic, second chapter? I have ideas.


End file.
